The present invention comprises a new and distinct verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Balwilrosexe2x80x99.
The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlled breeding program during 1998, at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of breeding program was the development of verbena cultivars with semi-trailing mounded habit, continuous flowering, excellent basal branching and small, dark green foliage.
The female (seed) parent of xe2x80x98Balwilrosexe2x80x99 was the proprietary verbena cultivar designated PAS984116 which exhibits a vigorous trailing growth habit, dark pink flowers and dark green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of xe2x80x98Balwilrosexe2x80x99 was the commercially available verbena, xe2x80x98SUNVP-SUxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,311), which exhibits a vigorous trailing growth habit, red flowers and dark green foliage.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.
It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:
(a) Exhibits reddish purple flowers,
(b) Forms dark foliage,
(c) Exhibits a good basal branching character and
(d) Exhibits a mounded and trailing growth habit.
When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to its male parent, xe2x80x98SUNVP-SUxe2x80x99, it is found that the new cultivar has longer internodes, larger leaves, and larger flowers but fewer flowers per inflorescence as detailed in TABLE A.